zss 




-*M;: 






& 



P<^'.v;?-iy 









E:z ^'^' 






35Tn Congress, ) HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. ( Report 
\st Session. ) ) No 373 



It. 5. ^^i . fltnu\c 



BASIL MIGNAULT— CHILDREN OF. 

[To accompany Bill H. R. No. 563.] 



May 11, 1858, 



Mr. Hickman, from the Committee on Revolutionary Pensions, made 

the following 

REPORT. 

Tlie Committee on Revolutionary Pensions, to whom was referred the 
petition of Peter M. Mignault, report : 

That it appears, from the papers and testimony transmitted from the 
Pension department, that Basil Mignault, a resident of Chambly in 
the county of Kent, Lower Canada, on the 20th of November 1828 
made and filed his application for a pension under the act entitled 
' An act for the relief of certain surviving officers and soldiers of the 
army of the revolution," approved on the 15th day of May, 1828. 
That, by the rules of the department, the claimant was required to 
make oath in support of his declaration, in addition to other evidence 
offered . 

The applicant in this case made oath that, in the month of Septem- 
ber, 1775, he joined the American army, under General Montgomery 
at St. John's, Lower Canada ; that he was commissioned by General 
Montgomery a lieutenant in Captain Arnold's company, in Colonel 
Livingston's regiment ; that he served in that capacity at the taking 
of Chambly, St. John's and Montreal, and at the siege of Quebec ; that 
on the day of the attack, in consequence of intoxication of his captain 
and the absence of two other captains, he was appointed to command 
three companies by command of General Montgomery, who, at the 
same time, presented him with a sword and gun as a mark of' respect 
for his services; that he, under Colonel Livingston, commenced the 
attack at the gates of the St. John's suburbs, and that he, with his 
own hand, set fire to the gates ; that after the siege was raised he re- 
treated with the army to St. John's, where he received a furlough to 
return home to visit his father, who lay sick, and had sent for him 
and on his return home was taken prisoner by the English, and tried 
for assisting the Americans. He was, however, acquitted, in conse- 
quence of their not being able to get witnesses, who had retreated into 
the United States. That he exerted himself to escape to the States 
and join his company again, but was prevented by spies appointed to 



£1 zisr 



BASIL MIGNAULT. 



watch his movements. That after he was tried, he was let out on 
parole not to leave the parish of St. Dennis ; and at the time he re- 
ceived his furlough he also received a certificate from Colonel Living- - 
ston of the amount of wages due him ; and that he never received 
anything for his services, except ten dollars ; that his commission, 
&c., was delivered to one Benway to get pay for his services and losses, 
and he was drowned and his papers lost. The truth of his declaration 
was supported by the testimony of a witness who enlisted as a private 
in the same company, and served under the orders and command of 
said Lieutenant Mignault from the time he joined the American army, 
at St. John's, until he was taken prisoner — corroborating the said 
Lieutenant Mignault in all the particulars of his services, and im- 
prisonment, and parole to the limit of the parish of St. Dennis during 
the war. 

There being no record evidence of the services, the department 
called for further corroborating evidence ; and it appears, while evi- 
dence was collecting, in compliance with the requisition, and some 
had been obtained, he died, to wit, on the 20th day of June^ 1832. 
The evidence the old man was collecting, in order to renew his claim, 
is now offered in connexion tvith the papers and testimony on file iu 
the Pension Office, a duly certified copy of which has been furnished 
your committee from the Commissioner of Pensions. This additional 
evidence is corroborative of the main statements before given, and, in 
the opinion of your committee, there is evidence sufficient to entitle 
the children of the officer to all the benefits which were intended to 
be conferred on the officer by the act of May, 15, 1828, and they re- 
commend a bill accordingly. 



*^Vo*TM. ,[■- ' 



m 



T^^Of CONGRESS 




01 1 800 538 7 



